Twitter revealed their new Twitter alerts system, which allows users to sign up for alerts from trusted organizations to deliver accurate information during emergencies, natural disasters or when other communications services are not accessible.
Twitter says alerts will also be marked with an orange bell icon to differentiate from regular tweets. Users who sign up to receive an account’s Twitter Alerts will receive notification directly to their phone for tweets marked as alerts from certain senders. The move follows a feature called “lifeline”, which Twitter launched in Japan last year. It underscores the services growing role in delivering fast information in an emergency.
A number of organizations in the United States, Japan and South Korea have been authorized to send such alerts, and Twitter will expand this to, “Public institutions and NGOs around the world”. Twitter details on its site what types of instances would warrant an alert like this. The list includes a natural disaster, biological incident, explosion or terrorism incident.
If you think that your company or business qualifies for the twitter Alert program, you can sign up, you won’t automatically get these alerts.
